    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [October 12, 2004]
    [Pages 2475-2479]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Paradise Valley, Arizona
    October 12, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for being
    here. I want to thank my friends Jon Kyl and John
    McCain for their leadership. They're good,
    honest people, and they're good to work with, and they do a great job
    representing Arizona. I presume you want me to sign the water bill.
    [Laughter] No wonder you're here.
        Anyway, I finally made it to Arizona--back to Arizona. You know,
    we're kind of warming up for these debates. I'm looking forward to
    tomorrow night. It's a chance to point out major differences. For
    example, if the Senator has his way, this is
    the way every house will feel, because he doesn't have an energy policy.
    But it's going to be a lot of fun. I want to thank Arizona State for
    hosting the debate, and thank the good city of Phoenix and Tempe for
    being such gracious hosts.
        I'm--will be teaming up here in a minute with Laura. She's been working her way from east to west. She and
    little Barbara are campaigning New Mexico
    today, and Jenna introduced me in Colorado
    Springs. And I was sitting there watching that gracious young lady
    introduce me in front of 10,000 people, saying, ``My, does time fly,''
    you know. [Laughter] It's an unbelievable feeling, really. I told the
    girls when they were young, I said, ``Oh, don't worry, we'll go on the
    famous father-daughter camping trip,'' come to the Grand Canyon, maybe
    ride down the Colorado River. This is the grand camping trip we never
    took them on, campaigning for President. [Laughter] But it's a lot of
    fun to have your family out there.

        I tell people--and this is true--I think it's true; it's got some
    truth to it, at least--that either when I asked her or shortly
    thereafter, Laura said, you know, ``I never want
    to have to give a political speech. I'll marry you, but I don't want to
    give a speech.'' I said, ``Okay, you got a deal.'' And--but fortunately,
    she didn't hold me to the deal. The American people have gotten to see
    her as a warm, compassionate, great First Lady.

        It's such an honor to serve the people. You know, people say,
    ``Well, gosh, that's interesting. What's it like on your marriage, you
    know, being the President and First Lady?'' I say, ``It strengthened our
    marriage. After all, I've only got a 45-second commute.'' [Laughter] But
    we're representing the country together, and Laura has come to know what I know, that we have a chance to
    really do some good things for people. And I remember when she gave the
    radio address to the--and spoke to the women of Afghanistan, made it
    very clear that the American people were standing with them as they went
    from tyranny to freedom. And the feedback was fantastic, and she
    realized what I know as well, that just simple gestures and kind--
    moments of kindness can really make a difference in people's lives and
    can help lift spirits and make a valuable contribution to the future of
    the country.

    [[Page 2476]]

        I tell people that I'm going to give you some reasons why to put me
    back in. Tomorrow night, that's part of the purpose, but perhaps the
    most important one of all is so that Laura is the
    First Lady for 4 more years. [Laughter]
        And my runningmate is doing just fine. I
    talk to him quite frequently. I think I'm going to see him tomorrow on a
    video--on a SVTS, we call it, which is a secure two-way conversation via
    video. We talk about national security needs. And he's doing great. He's
    holding his own. He did a wonderful job in the debate. I tell people he
    doesn't have the--I tell people plainly the fact, and that is, he
    doesn't have the waviest hair there amongst the candidates. But I didn't
    pick him for his hairdo. [Laughter] I picked him because he's a man of
    sound judgment and great experience, and he's getting the job done. And
    I'm real proud of Dick Cheney and proud to serve with him.
        I want to thank Members of the Congress who are here. Trent and Josie Franks are with
    us. It's great to see you all. Thanks for coming. You're doing a fine
    job, and I'm proud you're here. Shadegg is
    with us. Where is John? Somewhere, anyway. Either that or he's outside
    trying to find some cool air. [Laughter] I want to thank J.D. and Mary Hayworth. They're
    with us today. Big J.D., appreciate you coming. Jeff and Cheryl Flake--there he is.
    Thanks for coming. I'm glad to see you all.
        The mayor is with us, Ron Clarke, of the town
    of Paradise, Arizona. What a fantastic name, Paradise. What a great
    name. You know who is here? I'm a member of the ex-Governors club, and
    my old buddy, the ex-Governor of the State of Arizona is with us, Fife
    Symington. I appreciate you coming. You look
    great, for an older guy--no. [Laughter]
        I want to thank my friend Jim Click.
    I appreciate his leadership. Several people came through the line and
    said, ``I'm Click's friend.'' I said, well, ``I'm sorry.'' [Laughter]
    But thanks for coming. [Laughter]
        I want to thank my--longtime friend of Mother and Dad's and mine, Jim
    Simmons. I appreciate Jim, and thank you
    for being here. I don't know if many people know this, but he used to
    live in Midland, Texas. And that's where Laura is
    from. That's where I'm from. Mother and Dad were living out there, and
    they became fast friends. You can't make it in this line of work unless
    your friends stay with you. That's just the way it is, and I appreciate
    Jim.
        Bob Castellini and
    Susie are here. They've helped on this
    event. I want to thank my longtime friend Bob Castellini. I want to
    thank Dave Thompson. I want to thank the chairman of the Republican
    Party of Arizona, Bob Fannin, and his wife,
    Lisa.
        Let's see here--21 days from today, the people will be going to the
    polls.
        Audience member. You've got my vote!
        The President. That's good. [Laughter] I certainly hope so.
    [Laughter] I don't know who is counting the days. I guess--but my
    spirits are high. I feel great. I really feel like the people--I got a
    good record to run on. I went to Washington to do some things.
        You might remind people about what this economy has been through.
    The stock market was declining 6 months before I arrived in Washington,
    DC. We had one of the most significant stock market corrections in our
    history, and it foretold a recession. And then we got attacked, which
    cost us a million jobs. But we acted. I acted. I led the Congress. We
    cut the taxes in order to create consumption and investment, and this
    recession was one of the shallowest in American history.
        We're on the move. Jobs are being created. There's a sense of
    optimism everywhere I go. Do you realize that there are more homeowners
    today than ever before? More minorities own their home than ever

    [[Page 2477]]

    before in the history of the United States. What a fantastic, fantastic
    statistic.
        The entrepreneurial spirit is strong. I mean, I meet small-business
    owners all over who feel like tomorrow will be a better day, in part
    because of the policies we have put in place. Listen, farmers are doing
    well, and that's good. When you got a good ag economy, you got a good
    economy. Think about that. The agricultural sector is doing well, which
    means rural America is doing well. There are bright spots all over this
    country.
        And what I'm going to tell the people tomorrow night is we're not
    going to go back to the days of tax and spend. We're not going to go
    back to the days where--kind of the vision of economic policy is,
    ``We're going to take your money, and we'll decide what to do with it.''
    Running up the taxes on the American people right now would be bad for
    our economy, and we're not going to let him tax you. We're going to win
    in Arizona, and we're going to win in November.
        So it's--you can't run on your record, see, you got to run on--the
    only reason you look at your record is to say, ``I did what I said I was
    going to do, and now here's what I'm going to do.'' And the best way to
    make sure jobs stay here is to make sure America is the best place in
    the world to do business. That means less regulations. That means legal
    reform. That means a commonsense energy policy that will make us less
    dependent on foreign sources of energy. That means opening up markets
    for U.S. goods.
        One of the interesting debates in this campaign is about trade. I go
    around telling the people, ``Look, we open up our markets for foreign
    goods, and that's good for you.'' I explain to them that when you have
    more products to choose from, you're likely to get that which you want
    at a better price and higher quality. That's how the market works. So
    rather than preventing you from having more choices, I think what we
    ought to do is to say to countries, ``You treat us the way we treat
    you.'' Let's open up markets for U.S. products and U.S. goods and U.S.
    services. And that's how you keep jobs here in America.
        And you keep jobs here in America by being wise about how we spend
    your money. I look forward to working with Senators McCain and Kyl about--to bring some fiscal
    sanity to Washington, DC. But you're not going to have fiscal sanity
    with John Kerry as the President. He's been
    the most liberal Member of the United States Senate, which means he
    likes to spend your money. That's what that means. Now, he can try to
    run from his record, but I'm not going to let him hide.
        A couple of other quick points before people start to fall out
    here--[laughter]--including me. [Laughter] I can't wait for the health
    care debate. It's clear in this campaign; there's a difference of
    opinion. He said the other day, the Government
    doesn't have anything to do with his plan. When he said that I could
    barely contain myself. [Laughter] Of course, the Government has
    something to do with his plan. It's the cornerstone of his plan. It's
    the crux of his health care policy, to expand the Federal Government.
        I have a different view. I mean, we've got to address costs with
    medical liability reform. We got to address costs with structural
    reforms by giving consumers more choice in the marketplace. That's how
    you begin to control costs. And that's why I'm such a big believer in
    health savings accounts. I could give you the whole litany, but what I'm
    telling you is, is that there is a vast difference of opinion about
    health care. And I'm absolutely confident our view is the way to help
    make sure health care is available and affordable.
        I'm looking forward to talking about education. This is a subject
    about which I've got great passion. We reformed our--the way the Federal
    Government looks at schools. We measure now, in return for extra Federal
    money. You've got to measure if you want to save people's lives.

    [[Page 2478]]

    You've got to measure if you want to educate every child. If you don't
    diagnose the problem, you can't solve it.
        Listen, I'm looking forward to debating tomorrow night on domestic
    issues that will make a difference. I'm looking forward to probably
    spending a little time, hopefully, on the war on terror because there's
    a big difference of opinion on the war on terror.
        Let me tell you a couple of things, and we'll all go home and find
    some air-conditioning. First, you got to understand the nature of the
    enemy. They are coldblooded. They have no conscience, and you can't
    negotiate with them, and you can't hope for the best with these people.
    We must find them overseas so we don't have to face them here, and
    that's exactly what we're doing.
        A couple of other things. Secondly is that in this different kind of
    war, it is important to send clear and understandable messages, such as,
    ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist.''
    See, it's one thing to go after the terrorist networks, which we'll
    continue to do, but we also got to go after those people who harbor them
    and support them. And that's what I meant when I told the Taliban to get
    rid of Al Qaida or face serious consequences. They didn't listen, and
    they're no longer in power.
        And I want you to remind your friends and neighbors about what took
    place this weekend. It is a phenomenal statement about democracy and
    freedom. Do you realize the first person that voted in the Presidential
    election was a 19-year-old girl? That's
    unbelievable. It's an unbelievable thought. Imagine what is happening in
    that society because of freedom. And it's in our Nation's interest that
    we promote freedom in places like Afghanistan and elsewhere, because
    Afghanistan is now an ally in the war on terror and such a bright
    example of what is possible in parts of the world that are desperate for
    free societies.
        The third lesson is that we've got to deal with threats before they
    come to hurt us. That's the reality of September the 11th.
    Saddam was a threat. We didn't find the
    stockpiles we thought were there, but remember what the report last week
    said. It said he was gaming the Oil for Food Programme to convince
    governments to get rid of--weaken or get rid of the sanction program for
    one reason, to use his expertise to rebuild his weapons. And what could
    he do with the weapons? He could share them with a terrorist enemy,
    which would make the harm done on September the 11th mild in comparison
    to what they could do. That's the true threat we face. And therefore,
    it's incumbent upon a President to face those threats before they come
    to hurt us. And that's exactly what we did in Iraq. Getting rid of
    Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do, and the world is safer for it.
        And we'll succeed in Iraq. We've got a plan, and we're moving toward
    elections. Think about a--they're going to have elections in January.
    It's dangerous there, and there's a reason. These terrorists want to
    stop us. They want us to quit. They can't stand the thought of a free
    society in their midst. They understand how powerful Iraq will be as an
    example of people being able to live in a free society.
        I believe everybody wants to be free. I believe women in the Middle
    East want to live in a free world. I know mothers from all walks of life
    and all religions want to raise their children in a free society. I know
    that, and at the core of my belief is that people want to be free
    because freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this
    world. That's what I believe.
        Let me tell you one story--one story, and then we'll all go home
    here. [Laughter] There's already enough hot air in here to begin with.
    [Laughter] I tell people I believe in the transformational power of
    liberty. And I put it--I try to put it in terms so everybody can
    understand what I'm saying. And I use my friend Koizumi as an example about what I mean. Now, he's the

    [[Page 2479]]

    Prime Minister of Japan. Laura and I are very
    fond of him. He's an interesting, interesting man. His favorite singer
    is Elvis--[laughter]--one of his favorite--pretty unusual. And one of
    his favorite movies is ``High Noon.'' [Laughter]
        And I sit down with him and talk to
    him quite frequently. And what I find amazing is that I am talking to
    him at all, because it wasn't all that long ago in the march of history
    that we were at war with Japan. Japan was the sworn enemy. My dad fought the Japanese. McCain's dad fought the Japanese. Your dads, granddads were at war
    with the Japanese.
        And after we won, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States,
    believed in the power of liberty to transform an enemy into an ally.
    Think about what that must have been like for the President, to stand up
    to the American people and say, ``We're going to help our enemy become a
    democracy. We'll help Japan, not hurt Japan, the enemy, but we'll help
    lift up Japan as a free nation.''
        And there were great doubters and skeptics, and you can understand
    why. Many lives had been turned up-side-down. ``Who wants to help an
    enemy,'' some probably asked. But Truman and other Americans stood true
    to the belief that liberty is a powerful, powerful concept.
        And so today, as a result of their belief, I sit down with Prime
    Minister Koizumi, talking about the peace
    that we all want. We talk about how to keep the peace on the Korean
    Peninsula. We're talking about how to spread democracy and freedom. We
    talk about how to help the people of Afghanistan and Iraq realize their
    dreams to live in a free society. He knows what I know: Free societies
    will yield a more peaceful world. And I'm talking to a former enemy
    about peace.
        Someday, an American President will be sitting down with a leader
    from Iraq, elected by the people, talking about how to keep the peace in
    a troubled part of the world, talking about how to spread liberty to
    corners of the world that need liberty, talking about how to make sure
    the example of a free society shines brightly for all. And our children
    and our grandchildren will be better off for it.
        The stakes are high. The stakes are high in this campaign. We have a
    competing different--competing visions on Government, and we have a
    different view of the war on terror. It's not just to be reduced as a
    ``nuisance.'' It is to be defeated by using all the might of the United
    States and spreading freedom as an alternative. And make no mistake
    about it, with the firm resolve and clear vision, we will prevail.
        And I want to thank you for your help. God bless you. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:46 p.m. at the Sanctuary on Camelback
    Mountain. In his remarks, he referred to Josephine Franks, wife of
    Representative Trent Franks; Mary Hayworth, wife of Representative J.D.
    Hayworth; Cheryl Flake, wife of Representative Jeff Flake; Mayor Ron
    Clarke of Paradise Valley, AZ; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of
    Japan. He also referred to the ``Comprehensive Report of the Special
    Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD,'' issued September 30.